Multi Protocol Label Switching (“MPLS”) has been the primary technology for WAN transport for many years due in part to the fact that it can reliably deliver packets at high speeds. Enterprise branch offices may use MPLS links to connect to headquarters or data centers. On the other hand, access link technologies, such as Digital Subscriber Line (“DSL”), cable modems, and 3G/4G links have advanced in recent year to the point that they can achieve higher speed and link reliability at a lower cost; in contrast, MPLS links are rather expensive to operate and maintain. As a result, enterprise networks are increasingly using Internet cloud for their other classes of traffic. The challenge is how to leverage low-cost Internet links in a WAN access strategy and improve the Quality of Service (“QoS”) of Internet links so that they can approach the performance of MPLS.
Traffic shaping is a form of rate limiting and may be employed to provide differentiated service treatment among different traffic classes. In particular traffic shaping provides a means by which to control the volume of traffic being sent on a link during specific period of time and by virtue of it also controls better service for important traffic over less important or best effort traffic.